First
by InkySwear
Summary: It is Lily Potter's first year at Hogwarts. As she adapts to her new home, what changes might come about when she encounters a thought-provoking and overall confusing Malfoy?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hello, good reader. c: I just wanted to do this FanFic as the same time as my other in case I ran out of ideas or something for the other one, because I always want to be working on something. I hope you enjoy this as much as I'll enjoy writing it! c: (I have invented some of the characters, and I also made up some animals for the sake of letters and things. They couldn't use school owls, could they? c; I also made a wizard game.) Read, Enjoy, and Review!

**Disclaimer:** Harry Potter is by no means mine. Neither are any of J.K. Rowling's magical inventions. c:

* * *

"Lily! Slow down, will you? Bloody hell…" Albus ran after his sister at King's Cross Station.

"I can't, I can't! I'm too excited! I'm finally going to Hogwarts!" Lily yelled back, flinging her arms out as she ran.

"Shush up! We can't have the Muggles learning all of our secrets, you idiot!" Albus had caught up with her and bopped her on the head as she clapped her hands over her mouth with wide eyes. He laughed at her expression. "Oh, don't worry about it, Lils. They might think we're talking about some foreign place in Belgium or something." Smiling reassuringly at her, Albus slung his arms over her shoulders. "Now, about Hogwarts…"

Lily smiled up at her brother. Albus was the closest to her in age, only two years older than her. As he explained to her (again) the politics of the school houses ("If there's a problem between the Slytherins and Ravenclaws, watch your back. They throw wicked curses at each other") she felt her limbs were ready to fly again. She flashed him a quick smile and ran forward, barely giving time for Albus to finish his little monologue.

"Hey!" Albus laughed and turned toward his mum, dad, and James, who was fiddling with something behind his parents' backs. "Well look who's here!" he yelled.

Harry and Ginny turned around to see Ron and Hermione, with Hugo and Rose on their tail, speed walking to catch up with them. "Hello, mate!" Ron said, clapping Harry on the shoulder. Ginny and Hermione hugged. Hugo ran to catch up with Albus, who was walking backwards with a grin on his face, and Rose fell in step with James to see what he was doing.

"Guess what, Albus?" Hugo said as he sprinted past Albus, going too fast. Doing a double take, he ran back to walk next to Albus. "Guess… what…" he said again, out of breath. Albus grinned. Hugo was sometimes too energetic for his own good. He looked at him questioningly. Hugo beamed. "I'm a first year!" he said proudly, puffing out his chest.

Albus laughed. "Indeed you are, young cousin. I remember my first year. It was quite a good time, I must say."

"Aw, Al, please, don't talk about it _again_. I heard you talk about it all last, last summer. Let me savor the moment," he said, closing his eyes and leaning his head back. Albus laughed again.

"Albus, watch Lily! We don't want to lose her!" Ginny scolded her son. Albus spotted Lily waiting by Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, tapping her foot impatiently. Albus could see her mouth moving quickly. He thought he could just hear her saying, "Come, come, come, come, come…" He smiled.

Lily watched them coming impatiently. She couldn't wait to take her first run as a Hogwarts student through the gate. She'd heard so much from her cousins and her siblings about the magic of stepping into Hogwarts, seeing the Great Hall for the first time. She settled herself and slid down the wall, leaning against the platform.

Suddenly, she was leaning further down than she expected. Her head slid to the other side of the gate, to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. She got her bearings, and she noticed she was accidentally leaning against someone's foot. She looked up to see a boy with light blond hair looking down at her curiously. She squeaked and lifted herself back up into King's Cross. Biting her lip and looking over at her family, who were approaching slowly, she hoped they hadn't noticed. It didn't look as if they had, although Albus was biting his own lip in a half smile as he talked to Hugo.

Rose skipped forward and smiled down at her cousin, who was acting as if nothing amiss had happened. "Why, hello, Lily Pad," she said as she extended her hands to lift Lily back up. "Are you excited for your first year at Hogwarts?"

"You bet." Lily smiled and gave Rose a tight hug. "It's good to see you, Rosie."

"Come on. Let's go through the gate, shall we?" Rose took Lily's arm and they stepped through the gate together, Lily smiling proudly. She looked around at the train, the people rushing from car to car. The fair-haired boy was no where to be seen, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Albus, James, Hugo, and the parents all came walking in after them.

"Okay, now James, can you please take Heggy and find something to cover her cage with? She looks like she's ready for a nap. Rose, Al, you can come help Harry with the luggage. Hugo, I think your mum and dad want to talk to you. And I want to talk to you, Lily," Ginny ordered. The three older children went off to do as they were told, and Hugo went over to his father.

Ginny wrapped her arms around Lily, who struggled in vain to avoid the inevitable hug. "Mum…" she said, her voice muffled by her mother's body.

"I'm sorry, Lily Pad, it's just that you're my youngest and you're already going off to Hogwarts," Ginny sniffed.

"Mum, don't start crying! Please, no," Lily pleaded with her mother. Ginny gave her a small smile.

"Alright," she said, regaining her composure. She then developed a serious tone. "Now Lily, I want you to be careful, okay? Make sure you do not set a _toe_ in the Forbidden Forest, and that you are being a good student. Don't slack off in your grades. Try to keep your brothers out of trouble. And don't be afraid to be who you are."

"Oh, alright, Mum. You've told me this three times already. I think I'm good to go." Lily smiled up reassuringly at her mother. "You've got nothing to worry about, Mum." Harry walked over and gave Lily a hug.

"Be good, kid," he said to her, squeezing her around the shoulders. Ginny gave them both a quick hug and went to join Hugo, who was waiting for her at the door of a nearby car. They waved to their parents as the train gave a shrill whistle and moved further and further away from the platform, until it wasn't visible anymore.

--

Lily and Hugo turned and went along the corridor to look for an empty compartment. They found one where Rose, Albus, and their friends Olivia Wood and Abe Longbottom were seated, but only passed by with a wave. Just two doors down was an empty compartment, and the two made themselves comfortable there.

After sitting silently for a few minutes, Hugo got up, saying, "Well, not that this isn't good fun, but I'm going to go find Chas." Lily gave a small parting wave and resumed looking out the window, thinking.

She wondered what house she was going to be in. All of them seemed like decent houses, and she felt no inward grudge towards any of them, save Hufflepuff, which always seemed to have the airheads. Her whole family had been in Gryffindor, but Lily wasn't sure about her placement. She had always been a touch more cunning than her family, to the point that her brothers were no match for her in their old games of hide-and-seeker. She had almost always been the first to find and catch the little golden Snitch on all the family picnics, and no one, not even her dad, could find where she hid it when it was her turn. Perhaps she would find a place in Ravenclaw.

The door of the compartment opened, but Lily didn't bother turning, as she knew it was probably Hugo returning. Someone cleared his throat behind her.

Surprised, she turned and saw the fair-haired boy looking at her. As he realized who she was, his eyes widened slightly and he smiled.

"Er, hello," Lily said uncertainly. The boy only nodded and hesitated before giving a small wave before closing the door and moving on. Confused, Lily stood up, only to sit back down again when Hugo burst in with Chas Jordan, laughing.

She greeted them happily, but left the compartment when they pulled out an oversized cricket. In the corridor, she saw the fair-haired boy walking toward her again; she blushed and turned around, trying to avoid his gaze. Going into Rose's compartment, she noticed the slight coldness that came into his eyes when he saw where she was going. She stopped, with her hand on the handle, hesitating, and then went in. Who was he to judge who she wanted to be with?

When she greeted everyone in the compartment and sat down, she was surprised to see the door still open, and the fair-haired boy standing in the opening. The group was quiet.

"Potter," he said, nodding at Albus. He ignored the others.

"Malfoy," Al returned.

Lily watched their exchange. So this was Scorpius Malfoy, a third year like Rose and Albus. Uncle Ron had always pushed Rose and Al to tell him about him, how he was acting. The most that they said was that he was a self-centered Malfoy just like the rest of them, and a Slytherin. He was cold to everyone, and he rarely showed his emotions. He was also at the top of his class.

She was surprised. He'd seemed so nice, so kind when she'd seen him. He had been nothing like the Scorpius she'd heard of from her family, at least until he saw Albus and Rose. She didn't know what to think of him.

After Scorpius left, the conversation was only paused for a moment before it started up again.

"What was that all about?" Lily whispered to Rose as Abe talked of his discovery of new secret corridors from the end of last year. Rose shrugged, and Lily settled her forehead against the window, smiling into the landscape as she watched it flutter by.

James came to the compartment then, already dressed in his robes. "You guys had better get dressed. I talked to the conductor, and he says we'll be at Hogwarts in about fifteen minutes."

--

Stepping out of the train, Lily was swept along by a crowd. She heard a loud, familiar, booming voice.

"Firs' years! Come along firs' years! To the boats!" Hagrid bellowed. Lily face broke into a grin, and she waved to Hagrid. She went into a boat with Hugo, Chas, and another first year she didn't know. The boats started moving, and the first years marveled as an enormous tentacle seemed to wave at them from the water. As the boats passed under the bridge, Hagrid told them to get a good first look at Hogwarts.

Looking up, Lily felt like she was coming home.

* * *

**A/N:** Review please. c: Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Second chapter. Hopefully it will get a good response. -bites lip- R&R!

* * *

Lily was holding her breath as she stepped through the enormous doors of Hogwarts for the first time. Next to her, Hugo gasped. As she stepped in to the entrance hall, she craned her neck to try and see the ceiling, and failed in her attempt. Lily, like her father before her, could hear the voices of the older students already in the Great hall, and smiled at her first sighting of a rather noble looking ghost popping his head in to see the new first years.

"Welcome 'ter Hogwarts," Hagrid said, grinning at the awed looks on the faces of the children. "Now," he continued, clearing his throat, "you all need to be sorted inter' your houses. 'S nothin' scary, just the good ol' Sorting Hat for ya'." A woman with sharp features and a tight bun came walking through the doors leading to the Great Hall. "Ah, here's Professor McGonagall, the Headmistress of Hogwarts. She'll explain the rest ter' ya'," Hagrid said, relieved to be free of his duties. The students looked at each other, wide-eyed, at having been introduced to the headmistress so quickly.

"Thank you, Hagrid," Professor McGonagall said, smiling at Hagrid. She turned to the nervous first years, and developed a more serious tone. "Now, the four houses you will be sorted into are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house is of a noble name, and the four are the founders of the school in which you stand. When you are here, good deeds will earn your house points, while disobedient deeds will cause the loss of points from your house. The house with the most points at the end of the year will earn the House Cup, as is tradition and a great honor."

Then, a ghost with a rather large body appeared through the wall. "They are ready for you, Minerva."

Professor McGonagall nodded. "Follow me."

Every face in the Great Hall was turned toward the first years coming through the doors. Lily started trembling, nervous for the sorting. The other first years around her started whispering to each other. Some waved to the older students in the Great Hall that they knew. Hugo poked Lily's side and pointed out Rose and Albus sitting together at the Gryffindor table. She gave a weak smile and resorted to giving her greetings to the floor beneath her with her eyes. It, in return, was silent. Looking up for a change in scenery, Lily gasped at the awe of seeing the clear night sky overhead.

"Before we begin the sorting, I would like to say a few words," Professor McGonagall said from her place next to a low stool. "All students must remember that the Forbidden Forest is, as the name suggests, forbidden, unless accompanied by a teacher or an authorized wizard." Finishing her speech, Professor McGonagall placed an old, battered hat on the stool and looked pointedly at it.

_That's that sorting hat?_ Lily thought. _Well, alright. But I hope it's not infested with bugs._

Suddenly, a seam opened in the hat, and it broke out in song.

_When four friends got together_

_They came one, and they came all._

'_Twas Hogwarts that then started_

_And I stood there straight and tall._

_Now each one had a vision_

_Which they'd teach with their own grace_

_To have a school with wizard students_

_Learning with happy face._

_Now you may be in Gryffindor_

_Where if you're brave and true_

_You will find great friends and there_

_The wicked ones are few._

_Or you may be in Ravenclaw_

_Where cleverness is best_

_The things you'll learn, the friends you'll find_

_You're sure to pass your tests._

_Or Hufflepuff, with its great heart_

_Where dwell the sweet and good_

_They will go through any task_

_For hardships they've withstood._

_Perhaps you are in Slytherin_

_Where cunning is a plus_

_Though history's proved not all have been good_

_Each one's been up to snuff._

_Now I thought this and I sung it_

_And from that I made my song_

_So put me on, that I may tell you_

_Where you will belong._

"Now then," the Professor McGonagall continued after the applause had died down, opening a scroll, "onto the sorting. Ablie, Percival." A frightened, brown-haired boy stepped up to the stool. The hat didn't appear to do anything but sit atop his head. Then the seam opened. "RAVENCLAW!"

The Ravenclaw table erupted into cheers. The sorting continued gradually until finally…

"Potter, Lily." Lily heard the students behind her, whispering. "Another Potter, eh? It's like the Weasleys of our generation!" she heard someone chuckle. She almost turned around to shoot a glare at the person, but decided against it. She had enough to deal with.

Sitting on top of the stool, she felt the hat go atop of her head, and then over her eyes. She stared into the darkness.

"Ah, another Potter. I assume you're the last of them?" a voice whispered in her ear.

_Yes, sir,_ she thought. She felt the hat's acknowledgement.

"Well then. Now, I'll have you know that you are… different. Smart, plenty of talent like your mother. But you have something your father had that your brothers didn't, something you know you possess. So I sincerely hope you are not surprised when I say this." The Sorting Hat took a deep breath, "SLYTHERIN!" it yelled to the room.

The room fell silent. When removing the hat, Lily saw that everyone in the room was staring at her, their faces masks of shock. Even Professor McGonagall was looking at her strangely, obviously confused about what had happened. Hugo was staring at her as if she was a stranger, and she bit her lip as she saw Rose, Albus, and James all with the same alarmed look on their face. She turned her gaze to her own, new house. They were also surprised, and some were sneering at her.

Only one face was turned away. Scorpius. The handsome, fair-haired boy appeared oblivious to the happenings around him, and was only staring at his plate. He hadn't even been paying attention. Frowning, Lily averted her gaze from him.

Lily felt strangely content as she stepped off the stool. She wandered over to the Slytherin table as if she was only out for a stroll, and sat down gently at the end of the table, next to the other new Slytherin first years. Most of them moved to put at least enough room for one more person between themselves and Lily. But still, she was not disturbed. In a way, Lily was happy, and even in a foreign house she hadn't expected, she still felt at home.

Hugo, as is obvious, was sorted into Gryffindor, much to his relief. Lily clapped enthusiastically as Hugo smiled at her awkwardly on his way to the Gryffindor table. Sitting next to his sister and cousins, the four children put their heads together, stealing glances over the Lily. Knowing their intent, Lily shot them looks to kill every time they looked over, to which they shied away quickly, going back to whispering. Shaking her head, Lily turned back to the headmistress at the front of the room, who was wrapping up the scroll of names as Zauscher, Ren pranced over to the Hufflepuff table.

"Congratulations to all the first years. I'm sure that you will all contribute great things to each of your new houses. Now, tuck in!" she said enthusiastically.

Lily smiled to herself at the amount of food that appeared on the table before her. Grandma Weasley gave the family about the same amount of food when they all got together for a reunion.

She heard a shift next to her, and gasps of shock from the people at the table. Turning her head to see what was going on, she was shocked to see Scorpius sitting next to her. The other Slytherins were looking at him skeptically, and she stared at him. He made no acknowledgement that any change in position had been made, but she saw the ghost of a smile on his face.

"Hello," she said to him quietly. He nodded in response, looking her right in the eye. Surprised that her stomach jumped involuntarily, she smiled uncertainly, and turned back to her food, enjoying every bite of it.

Once the plates were cleared and gleaming gold once again, the Headmistress stood up and dismissed the houses to their dormitories, instructing the prefects to lead their students. Aiden Trufec, a Slytherin prefect, only stood up and breezed past the table, saying, "Slytherins," but one time. Penelope Blaise, his female counterpart, announced her presence loudly and instructed the students to follow her and Aiden. The students arose and obediently followed their lead, and the group went on their way to descend into the dungeons.

* * *

**A/N: **Please don't kill me. s: I'd had the idea mulling over in my head for a while, so I wanted to go for it. About her house, that is. Oh, and if the Sorting Hat's song isn't really up to snuff, I apologize. I did the best I could come up with. c: (Overall not a very long chapter… Hm…) Review please!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Third chapter! Thanks to my reviewer! Haha. I really appreciated your comment. c: Hope you all enjoy this chapter. And please review!

* * *

Walking into the dungeons, Lily shivered. It was cold down there, and the walls seemed like they were closing down on her, trying to trap the innocent little first year within its grasp. Biting her lip, she looked around at the other first years. Some looked slightly frightened, like they didn't know what to expect. Others were walking by with their noses in the air, obviously self-centered and stuck-up.

_Better to avoid them, I suppose,_ Lily thought, looking away from them. _We've been walking for a long time now. I should have paid better attention; I'm bound to get lost… _

Suddenly, the group stopped. Taken by surprise, Lily accidentally bumped into another student, who had her hair tied up in a complicated but pretty manner. Looking back at the auburn-haired Lily, who smiled apologetically, the girl sniffed. Rolling her eyes, Lily stepped back a couple steps, putting space between her and the older girl. "My apologies, Miss Full-of-Herself," she muttered under her breath. Lily saw the girl turn around slightly, looking at her. The girl had on a tiny smile, and turned away again. _Strange,_ Lily thought, _I wasn't expecting that._

The boy prefect, Aiden, turned toward them. His voice was quiet, but commanding. "Slytherins, keep this in mind. I hope you remember how to get here; for you first years who don't, just find one of the many Slytherins here," he gestured widely to the group, "and find it. Now, the password for now is _Devil's snare_. Don't forget it." He turned to the blank wall and murmured the password. A stone door that Lily hadn't seen slid open, revealing a short corridor, which they obediently filed through.

The passageway opened to reveal a large, regal room. The walls were all a cold gray stone, and on the ceiling green-tinged lamps were hanging decoratively. High-backed and plush chairs encircled the warm and crackling fire. A banner showing off the Slytherin snake insignia was hung on a wall of the room, overseeing the actions of the students.

It was Penelope's turn to speak. "The girls' dormitories are up the staircases to the right, and the boys' dormitories are to the left. First years are on the first floor you get to when you go up the stairs, the second years on the second floor, and so on. Remember that hazing is immensely frowned upon, and it will not be tolerated if you are found out. If you are discovered, the punishment will be decided by our Head of House, Professor Doplet, who teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts, or the headmistress. Adhere to all the rules, and I wish you all a good year at Hogwarts." There was scattered applause amongst the first years, and the students all rushed to reach their rooms.

Lily followed behind slowly, smiling at the portraits lining the stairs to the dormitories. They looked at her curiously, obviously not used to acknowledgement, and smiled back at her uncertainly. Going into her room, she found all of her belongings already piled next to a four-poster bed, on which there were green and silvery gray sheets. She checked her belongings, and took out her school books, scrolls, and quills. Happy about her situation, she skipped down the stairs, one of her textbooks in hand.

Coming out of the stairwell, she almost ran into Scorpius, who was walking past the stairs. She stopped just in time. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there!" she blurted out when he turned to look at her.

He chuckled. "No problem. But for future reference, I'm afraid I'll have to get your name." He looked at her seriously, holding up his hands as if he were taking notes.

This confused Lily, and she only looked at him, frowning slightly. Where was the unfeeling Malfoy she had heard of? Why was he nice to her? Why would she be an exception of her family? _Well, that's easily answered. I'm in Slytherin, aren't I?_ she thought to herself. But why was she his exception of… everyone?

Seeing that she wasn't going to answer, Scorpius put his hands back down, crossing his arms. He smiled and shook his head at her. "Don't worry; I'm nothing to be afraid of. Scorpius Malfoy, third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he said, making a slight bow to Lily.

She started to smile. "Lily Potter," she said slowly. "Pleased to meet you. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go sit by the fire." He nodded. "Oh, and I really am sorry about almost running into you just now. And, er, I suppose about what happened this morning, too. I just didn't realize…"

"Don't worry about it," he said, just over a whisper. He was looking behind her; she could hear the footsteps of other Slytherins coming down the stairs. His expression was getting less inviting by the second. She bit her lip, and walked toward the fire, curling up like a cat in one of the softer chairs, and glanced over toward Scorpius, who was walking up the stairs to the boys' dormitories. He looked back at her. Quickly, Lily looked away, blushing furiously, and she thought she heard a low chuckle as the voices of other students filled the common room.

--

"LILY!" Hugo caught up with her in the hall the next morning, pulling her back by her robe. Rose and Albus followed close behind.

"Hi, Hugo! Hi, Rosie! Hi, Al! How are you guys?" Lily smiled broadly at them, happy to see her family.

"Hi," Hugo said seriously. He looked around. "How are you holding up?" he whispered.

Lily frowned. "What do you mean, 'holding up'? I'm holding up just fine, thank you."

"Lily, don't pretend you don't know what we're talking about. You can try to appeal to Professor McGonagall if you want to. I'm sure she won't force you to stay in a house you don't want to be in…" Rose looked at her with a worried look on her face.

Lily frowned further. "Stop it! I'm fine where I am, but thanks for your concern." She saw Albus open his mouth. "Albus! No! I am not going to try and change houses no matter what you say! Lay off!" She stormed away, and went into the Great Hall fuming. Situating herself at the end of the Slytherin table, she frowned down at her plate.

When she looked up again, Scorpius was sitting across from her, staring at his plate as well. She suppressed a smile, and saw him flash her a smile when he looked up at her. She giggled, and stopped herself quickly. She looked around the room, too confused to do anything else.

Albus, Hugo, Rose, and James were all gathered at the entrance to the Great Hall, staring at Lily. They all looked horrified. Albus's glance shifted from Lily to Scorpius, and back again, trying to make sense of what he saw. Scratching his head, he walked toward the Gryffindor table when Abe yelled at him and the others to move.

A flood of owls flew through a large window at the front of the room. Lily looked up, and immediately recognized Ollie, Ginny's personal tawny owl. She fluttered down to Lily and pecked at her ear affectionately. After stroking Ollie a couple times, Lily removed the letter from her leg. "Go to the Owlery, now, Ollie. After you rest, you can go back home." After nibbling her ear again, Ollie flew off with a piece of bacon in her talons. Smiling, Lily opened the letter, recognizing her mother's handwriting.

_Lily Pad, _

_I heard about your sorting. Professor McGonagall told us right away. Are you okay? Professor McGonagall told us to tell you that it would be fine with her if you requested a house change. Just go and talk to her if you'd like. If, however, you choose to stay in Slytherin, know that your father and I support you whole-heartedly, whatever decision you make. Like I told you before, don't be afraid to be who you are. _

_Anyway, things back home are as usual. Uncle George came up with a new item for the Weasley Wizard Wheezes. He told me to tell you that you can be the first to try it out, once he's made and perfected it. He should be done by Christmas time, so it would be perfect timing. _

_Be sure to write back._

_Love, Mum_

Lily flipped the letter over. As she suspected, a hasty note was scrawled onto the back.

_Lily, _

_Remember that being in Slytherin should bring no shame to you. One of the best headmasters I've ever known was in Slytherin, and I would be very proud to be able to say that my daughter is in such a noble house._

_Dad_

Lily smiled to herself. _Well, this is going to be fun._

* * *

**A/N:** Not too happy with the ending, but it's decent enough, I suppose. On another note, I'm thinking of getting Lily a cat. It'll come up a bit later in the story, but it will come up. Any suggestions as to its name (female)? Thanks for reading. c:


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Oof, it's been a week since I last updated. l: Okay, so on to the next chapter!! c:

* * *

Lily walked into her first class, Herbology. The greenhouse had barely any students in it, and Lily settled in a station near the door and waited for Professor Longbottom to make his entrance. Suddenly, she felt someone give her a tackle hug from behind. She let out a small scream and turned around quickly to give the person a quick scolding. Instead, she found herself smiling broadly.

"Junie Duram! What are you doing here?" Lily exclaimed, surprised at seeing her friend in the greenhouse. Junie was in Ravenclaw, and a Muggle-born like her distant cousin, Hermione. They'd met at a Christmas party held two years ago at the Weasley household.

"Well, didn't you read your schedule properly, silly? We're in Double Herbology! Ravenclaw and Slytherin together! Isn't that fun?" Junie gave her another quick hug. "Granted, there'll probably be some wicked glares being passed between our houses. It's a shame we're rivals now, isn't it? But we won't let that get between us. No, sir!"

Lily laughed. "No, of course not. How could it? I mean—"

Just then, Professor Longbottom breezed in, saying, "Sorry for being late. Had to make a quick stop to the Leaky Cauldron. There was a bit of a situation. Now, if you would all please partner up." He walked by Lily and Junie, giving them a wide smile. They waved back at him, and Lily asked in gestures whether she and Junie could be partners. Neville gave them a long look, and finally shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry, girls, but no. Within the houses, please, children. We'll be continuing this lesson next time, and you should have to keep the same partners. But you may be in stations next to each other."

Crestfallen, Lily paired up with a brown-haired boy in her house. He was slightly peaky, and had a mischievous glint in his eyes. When they were handed their potted plants, he continuously poked the soil and pulled at the leaves of the plant. Lily rolled her eyes. She turned to Junie and grinned when they made eye contact.

After the class had ended, Junie and Lily walked out of the greenhouse together. "What do you have next?" Lily asked, grabbing the schedule from her friend's hand. "Let's see… Potions. Then Transfiguration and Charms. Oh drat! We don't have any more Doubles together for another week! And that's in… flying lessons." Lily pouted.

At a staircase, the pair stopped. "Well, I'm going this way," Junie said, pointing up the stairs. "And you go over there." Junie nodded toward the nearest classroom. She waved as she stepped onto the stairs. "See you later, Lily!"

As she was walking into the classroom, she caught sight of a light-blond head as she went by the front of the room. She looked back quickly, and saw a tall, slim figure sweeping out of the door, a robe billowing behind him. At first she thought it was Scorpius, but she realized that this figure seemed more grown-up and somewhat confident. Sitting down at her desk, she turned her attention to Professor Doplet at the front of the room.

--

"I don't know. It's weird, don't you think?" Albus was frowning, whispering to Rose in the hallway. "She seemed unsurprised, too. It's like they've become friends or something. Can you imagine? Friends with that bloody Malfoy." He scoffed.

Rose shrugged and gave a little sigh. "Well, I guess with Lily we'll either have to find out if they're friends ourselves or force the truth out of her. You know how stubborn she can be, and if we go all attack mode one her, she'll get defensive again. But for now, I don't think we should push it. It is only the second day, after all. And he'll have to get over it, too. Knowing him, he'll lose interest in her quickly enough. He'd always had interests in new Slytherins. She'll learn eventually, won't she? She has ears; she'll hear people talk."

Al shook his head quickly, causing his hair to swing back and forth, only to go to the same position it was in before. He looked straight ahead. "Well, last year he didn't come close to doing this. She has a heart, too, Rose, a big one. And she'll still hear people talk." He sighed and slumped forward slightly. "And that's what I'm afraid of."

--

On the way to Transfiguration, Lily felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see who it was, and heard a light chuckle from her other side. She whirled, and was greeted with a crooked smile from a certain fair-haired gentleman. She gave him a tiny smile and nodded at him, and started to walk away quickly. He promptly fell into step with her.

When he spoke, his voice was quiet. "What's your next class?" he asked.

Lily silently handed him her schedule. She noticed that the people walking by her were whispering, and staring at the pair. She blushed scarlet and looked down, greeting the floor again, as she had done in the Great Hall not one day ago. Why did they keep staring? Was it really such a big deal that the two Slytherins talked?

Turning her head slightly, she saw him nodding to himself, his brow faintly furrowed. He handed her schedule back to her, and walked along with her a ways silently. When they reached Professor McGonagall's classroom, he nodded curtly and walked off.

Lily pursed her lips and frowned. What did he think he was doing? What was _she_ doing? She had never expected to be associating regularly with the Malfoy her whole family seemed to view with contempt. Walking into the classroom, she noticed James looking at her strangely from the staircase. She turned away, acting as if she hadn't noticed. When she looked back, he was gone.

--

Lily's classes were over for the day. She and Tasha, a fellow Slytherin first year she managed to get on friendly terms with, were sitting by the fire and flipping through their books, searching for answers to the homework the teachers had assigned.

Tasha was a somewhat short, dark-haired girl, and a pure-blood. Her irises were a strange color, a dark red, almost to the point where they seemed brown. She was thin and graceful, and in some instances, as in the first times she saw her, Lily had thought that Tasha may be a vampire. However, in Transfiguration, when she had been forced to partner with her under Professor McGonagall's strict orders, she found that Tasha was a kind, engaging girl, and they had become friends immediately. Lily banished her thoughts of Tasha being one of the mystical creatures, and invited her to study and do homework with her in the common room, to which the other girl had quickly agreed.

"There's a handsome Malfoy staring at you," Tasha whispered to Lily, giggling.

Lily looked at her innocently, as if she had no idea what she was talking about. Tasha rolled her eyes and nodded toward the wall behind Lily. She turned around and saw that Scorpius was indeed staring at her, his eyes lighting up when she looked at him. She turned back to Tasha. "Don't be ridiculous. He's looking at the fire," she said, smiling widely. Her smile disappeared when she saw that Tasha had buried her head in her book, like she was avoiding something. Tasha's eyes appeared over the top of the book, only to vanish again.

Lily started to turn to try and catch Scorpius looking at her again, only to find that he was sitting right next to her. She jumped in surprise, and scooted backwards quickly.

He smiled at her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," he said in his quiet voice. _It's… musical,_ Lily mused to herself. She found that she was starting to like the sound of his voice. It was like the sound of an owl in the night: quiet, rare, and haunting. She returned to her former position. He smiled again. "Welcome back."

"Hi," she said to him, avoiding his pale grey eyes. She saw Tasha, who was looking at Scorpius with questioning eyes. Lily notices some subtle hand gestures by the third year in her peripheral vision. Then Tasha shot Lily a smile, got up, and moved towards the stairs.

"I, er, I have to get something," she said, and went up the stairs, glancing back occasionally. Lily stared at her hard, trying to will her to not leave her alone with the confusing Malfoy. She sighed when she was not heeded.

"Lily," Scorpius said, "Lily," he repeated, "I know this seems really weird because I don't know you that well at all and you probably haven't heard the best accounts of me or my family, especially from _your_ family, but…" he paused. His eyes, which were downcast, lifted and locked onto hers. "Can we be friends? As in, real friends, not just wave to each other in passing friends. Friends who talk about… stuff."

Her eyes widened slightly, and she bit her lip. She looked down. "Well… I was under the impression that we… sort of… already were. In a way." She looked at him through her eyelashes, measuring his reaction. His face split into a smile, and he promptly took her textbook, looked at the question, and pointed her to the right answer. She laughed. "Thank you," she said, chuckling.

She was still smiling when Tasha returned.

* * *

**A/N:** Yay! Lily got a friend! Well, technically three, if you include Junie and Tasha. c: Hope you enjoyed, and please review!


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Ahh! Oh goodness, I'm sorry that I've taken so long to update! These past couple months have been kind of eventful, plus I had this case of writer's block and I couldn't think of how to continue this thing. But now I'm back! Thanks to all the people who reviewed these last few chapters! I'll try to update sooner from now on...

* * *

"Alright, to your practicing," Professor Doplet finished after giving instruction on the stuns the third years were supposed to be working on. It was Double-Defense-Against-the-Dark-Arts.

Albus and Scorpius stared expressionlessly at one another. They had been paired by the professor shortly after they had arrived, as they had been the last two to come through the dungeon door. Each had consented with only a nod, and stood where they were while Professor Doplet demonstrated the spell on a spider in the middle of the room. Soft, fluffy pillows had replaced the desks which usually furnished the stone floors, and one of the more shy Slytherin girls had fallen onto one when the professor had pulled out the rather large, black spider and stunned it to immobility.

The sound of students muttering, shuffling, and thumping onto the ground as they were stunned filled the room. Albus and Scorpius set themselves for the practice.

Albus stepped forward solidly. "_Stupefy!_" he exclaimed, causing Scorpius to freeze. Once the spell wore off, Scorpius did the same to him, and they switched off mechanically, stunning and thawing.

A bell sounded outside of the classroom, and other classes filed out into the hall, causing their voices to echo slightly in the dark, stone dungeon. The paired third years both looked at the door as the students passed by, and scanned the crowd for someone familiar.

Suddenly, a flash of red caught both their eyes. Albus spun, catching his partner's automatic smile as he spotted Lily walking by the classroom. Barely suppressing a protective snarl, he yelled, "_Stupefy!_" and promptly walked up to Scorpius, whose eyes were the only part of his body which showed his blatant surprise at being caught unawares. "Stay away from her," Albus growled. "You're not worthy of a person half as good as her." As Scorpius thawed off, the smile he'd been wearing upon seeing Lily faded into an impassive expression, and he stared at Albus. "I don't even see why she associates with the likes of you," Al muttered, turning to walk back to his former position.

"_Stupefy!_" The spell hit him just as he was turning around to face the pale-haired boy again, making him unable to call Scorpius off for cursing him behind his back. He should have been more on guard. He watched as Scorpius walked up to him carefully. The Slytherin's voice came out quietly, as it always did. "Maybe it's just that she sees more about me than you do. Maybe she can see past family prejudice. Maybe…" his pale gray eyes lifted to meet Albus's hazel ones, "maybe she's more like her father than you are." Albus's eyes were cold, but a small part—a very small part—showed understanding, much as Albus would deny it. Scorpius stepped backwards as Albus began to move again. "We don't know each other, but she knows both of us. And that's what matters. In the end, it's her call who stays and who goes. I suggest we not make that any harder for her to decide."

After that, the conversation didn't continue. They simply fell back into the mechanical indifference of practicing they had used before the first year girl in both their lives had walked past the dungeon door.

--

Lily Potter was biting her lip. She was studying her Potions book, impatiently flipping through the thick pages looking for the ingredients necessary for the potion that cured boils. Tasha was doing the same next to her, but her red-eyes wandered away from the book and around the common room more often than not. The black-haired girl's hand doodled away on her parchment, and she started humming absently as she stared around the room. Lily looked up.

"Tasha." The other girl looked at her, her eyes alert.

"Yes, Lily dear?" Lily laughed lightly and shook her head, and buried her nose in her book again. Tasha shrugged and went back to her people watching, completely ignoring her book at this point. Her face broke into a mischievous grin. "Why hello there, Corey dear! For a second I thought you wouldn't grace us with your noble presence this evening."

Scorpius lifted an eyebrow at her as he walked over, sitting down next to Lily, who smiled at him. "Corey? What is that supposed to be?"

Tasha laughed. "Oh, don't give me that look. I didn't even come up with it. Lily was telling me earlier about how you guys had met—you know, her putting her head on your foot and all at King's Cross," Tasha said, laughing some more, "and it just popped out of her mouth."

Scorpius turned to Lily, who looked back at him innocently. "Corey," he said, trying the name out again on his tongue.

Lily nodded, and smiled. "Yes. Corey. I rather like it."

Scorpius nodded slowly. "Fine."

"Hey!" Scorpius and Lily looked up at Tasha, whose face still held her mischievous grin. "Hows about we three go and get something from the kitchens? I'm really hungry." Red eyes found themselves faced with confused green and gray ones. Tasha's mouth fell open in mock shock. "Have you guys never been to the kitchens? Lily, your brothers never even _told_ you how to get into them?" Lily shook her head. Tasha stood up determinedly and grabbed Lily's hand, dragging her toward the common room door. Lily yelled out in protest, but stopped soon enough so as to not be completely embarrassed as she was pushed out of the common room door. Scorpius followed through after them.

Once they were out of the common room, Tasha grinned and released her grip from Lily's hand, looking immensely proud of herself. Lily frowned.

"You know, I would like to be able to finish my homework for Professor Perks before sunrise," she grumbled.

"Oh, to hell with homework. Besides, we have good old—and I do mean old," she said with a wink to Scorpius, who rolled his eyes, "Scorpius to help us out with this. Proud Sir Third Year." Tasha grinned again, revealing her pearly white teeth. Lily noticed that two of them looked slighty… pointy? _No, that's ridiculous._ Tasha bounded away quickly before she had another chance to look, and Lily and Scorpius followed the exuberant girl through the halls of the dungeon, and into the upper floors of the castle. Upon reaching a corridor filled with bright, food-filled paintings, Tasha stopped and frowned up at the paintings. "Now, which one was it that Melody said to bother…"

Scorpius sighed and went to gigantic painting of a fruit bowl. He tickled the pear. It started to chuckle, much to Lily's surprise, and became a large green door handle. Tasha turned around, seeing what Scorpius had done, and clapped her hands together, rushing forward to grab the handle. "Splendid work, Sir Corey!" Then she turned around, eyes accusing. "I thought you'd never been to the kitchens before," she said.

Scorpius shrugged. "Just because I've never been doesn't mean I don't know how to get into them," he replied.

Tasha shrugged in return and pulled open the door, making her presence known by loudly stating, "Hello, all!"

The three were greeted by the high-pitched "Hello's" from the cheerful house-elves bustling about the kitchen. Six house-elves promptly ran up to them, bowing and smiling, each carrying two trays laden with tarts and pastries. Lily smiled at them all and politely took a cream puff from one of the trays.

The elf from whose tray Lily had taken her pastry looked at her, as if measuring her for something. After giving her a cheery grin, the elf said, "Excuse me, miss. My name is Pinky. Excuse me," she said again, and scampered off to the far corner of the kitchen, putting her tray down on the ground. She returned shortly, dragging a cardboard box behind her. She set the box in front of Lily. "Miss, I think you should have this." Lily smiled and looked into the box, expecting it to be filled to the brim with more pastries from the good-natured elves.

Instead, she saw a small bundle of gray, brown and white fur. The middle area of the small ball of fur moved lightly up and down, making Lily aware that it was a living creature. She looked back at Pinky, whose hands were clasped together under eyes which were filled with joyful anticipation. "What is it?"

"It's a Kneazle kitten, miss," Pinky said, smiling happily, "and I think it will pair up with you perfectly."

Inside the box, the Kneazle uncurled itself, stretched, and stared up at Lily. Its eyes were a shade of blue so dark they appeared almost black, but she could see a hint of blue in the light from the blazing fire. Still staring up at Lily, the small bundle of fur purred loudly. Pinky's smile widened, and she urged Lily to take the box.

Scorpius stared down at the little kitten over Lily's shoulder. "Don't you need a license to own one?" Pinky nodded, produced a certificate from a fold in her tea towel outfit, and handed it to Scorpius.

"It's here, sir. You can look over it for your lady, sir, to see that it is authentic if you want to make sure, sir." Scorpius took the scroll, shaking his head and reassuring the house-elf that he trusted her to not lead them astray. The house-elves around her smiled and pushed forward to give him a pastry. Scorpius was a bit taken aback by the small crowd pushing the treats toward him, but took one from each tray which was being lifted up to the level of his hands.

"Make sure to save one for your lady, sir, while she's busy with her new pet!" one of the house-elves squeaked from under his tray.

The boy's eyes widened and his cheeks turned slightly pink. Tasha was laughing beside him. "She's uh… not my… lady," Scorpius stammered. The elf poked his head out from under the tray and grinned. Tasha laughed more.

When the three had insisted to the friendly elves that they had to get back to the common room, they left the elves laden with enough pastries to feed the common room. Lily had the cardboard box tucked under her arm, and the Kneazle, whom she had decided to name Remmy, was purring happily from the hood of her robe. Lily smiled as she felt the light weight against her back.

The three turned into the main hall, talking amongst themselves. Suddenly, Lily and Scorpius both stopped short. Tasha, not realizing that they had stopped walking, continued, and almost ran into Rose, who was standing in the middle of the hallway, talking to Albus and Abe. Rose turned around and stared down at the black-haired girl, a small frown on her features. She looked past her, and saw Scorpius and Lily standing together at the end of the hall.

"Oh. Hello."

* * *

**A/N: **Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed yourself c:


End file.
